InuYasha: RENT
by AuroraBlackheart
Summary: La Vie Boheme is not all it's cracked up to be. InuYasha is a struggling song writer, can Kagome the dancer break InuYasha's tough outer shell? Can Miroku and Sango find happily ever after with the help of LifeSupport? IYKag MiSa KanKagu IYKik OniKik NaKa
1. Chapter 1

(Author's Note: I got this idea listening to the second half of the Rent Soundtrack, if it seems choppy at points, I am sorry. This is based off the Libretto of the Broadway play, not the Movie Script which is the only version of Rent I've seen. Also, I have tried to change some of the songs into basically just real conversations to make it seem a bit more realistic.

Songs featured/ Changed into conversations:

Tune Up 1

Voice Mail 1

Tune Up 2

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or Rent.

Rent is © to Jonathon Larson, InuYasha is © to Rumiko Takahashi.)

A short red haired man came into a small empty loft in a rundown building on 11th Street and Avenue B in New York. He holds a camera in his hands showing it everything in the small loft to it and recording the images and his own narration. A man with tied back silver hair watched him, plucking at an old electric guitar and adjusting knobs in a vain attempt to tune it.

"We begin on Christmas Eve with me, Shippou Yakahata, and my roommate, InuYasha." At this the aforementioned roommate lifted his head and glared at the man who was still showing the camera around.

"We live in an industrial loft on the corner of 11th street and Avenue B, the top floor of what was once a music publishing factory. Old rock 'n' roll posters hang on the walls." Shippou turned to a faded poster with InuYasha jamming on the very guitar he held in his hands.

"They have InuYasha's picture advertising gigs at CBGB's and the Pyramid Club. We have an illegal wood burning stove; its exhaust pipe crawls up to a skylight." The camera worked its way up the mentioned exhaust pipe until the camera was looking at practically all sky.

"All of our electrical appliances are plugged into one thick extension cord which snakes its way out a window." Shippou trailed the extension cord until he was on the fire escape looking over a large group of tattered tents. InuYasha eyed the amp that was plugged into the exact same extension cord warily.

"Outside, a small tent city has sprung up in the lot next to our building. Inside, we are freezing because we have no heat." He turned to InuYasha who was wrapped in a sweatshirt and heavy boots even though he was inside, just to prove his point.

"Smile!" InuYasha frowned and pushed the camera away as Shippou took a few steps back to officially start his movie.

"It is currently December 24th, Nine PM Eastern Standard Time; from here on in  
I shoot without a script. See if anything comes of it, Instead of my old shit. First shot – InuYasha, Tuning the Fender guitar he hasn't played in a year." InuYasha glared at Shippou for the commentary.

"This thing won't tune Shippou." He growled lowly plucking the stubborn instrument.

"So I hear." Shippou said wincing as a particularly bad chord reached his ears from the amp. "He's just coming back from half a year of withdrawal."

"Are you talking to me?" InuYasha asked stopping his plucking for a moment to glare at Shippou again.

"Not at all!" Shippou said grinning. "Are you ready? Hold that focus – steady…" he commanded the camera that was still recording in his hands. "Tell the folks at home what you're doing Inu..." InuYasha sighed in annoyance.

"I'm writing one great song…" InuYasha started explaining but was interrupted by the telephone ringing sharply.

"The phone rings!" Shippou said shifting to the black phone which had begun to flash.

"SAVED!" InuYasha said excitedly starting to pluck at the guitar again.

"We screen." Shippou explained as if trying to tell the camera why neither of them were answering. "Zoom in on the answering machine!"

"SPEAK!" InuYasha and Shippou's voice boomed through the apartment before a beep signaled the start of the message.

"That was a very loud beep dear… I don't even know if this thing is working. Shippou? Shippou? Are you there? Are you screening all your calls? This is your mother! We just wanted to call and say we love you and that we're going to miss you tomorrow. Cindy and the kids are here, they send their love too. I hope you like the hot plate. Just don't leave t on when you leave the house! Oh, and Shippou we're sorry to hear Kagura dumped you. I say "C'est La Vie." So let her be a lesbian! There are other fishies in the sea." And with a singsong flourish, she finished. "Love Mom!" Shippou paled; horrified that had been caught on tape. InuYasha started cracking up.

He chuckled nervously before just sighing giving up at his pathetic attempt at covering up his horrification. "There are times when we're dirt broke, hungry, and freezing, and I ask myself, why the hell am I still living here?" he said sighing again. "And then they call. And I remember all too well." He turned to InuYasha again who was still chuckling at Shippou's embarrassment.

"Now, tell the folks at home what you are doing, Inu…." He said starting where he had left off. InuYasha sighed, laughter ceasing almost immediately.

"I am writing one great song… InuYasha began before the phone rang again.

"Phone rings," Shippou said frowning turning the camera back to the phone.

"Yesss." InuYasha said grinning wildly to himself.

"Shush you!" Shippou snapped as the "Speak…" began the message.

"Chestnuts roasting… A soothing voice sang through the phone.

"Miroku!" InuYasha and Shippou said in unison as Shippou picked the phone up.

"I'm downstairs." Miroku said from the pay phone outside.

"Hey!" Shippou began excitedly.

"InuYasha picked up the phone?" Miroku asked almost excitedly at the thought of his depressed friend becoming more social.

"No it's me." Shippou said slightly depressed that he had to let Miroku down.

"Throw down the key." Miroku commanded. InuYasha stood grabbing a small bronze key from a nearby table and padding outside to the fire escape. Miroku waved from the battered payphone. He threw the key underhand and Miroku caught it. InuYasha retreated back inside.

"A wild night is now preordained." Shippou said softly into the phone. Unfortunately, neither of them noticed a small group of men approaching Miroku who was backing slowly into the payphone.

"I might be detained." He said before hanging up trying to have at least a small chance of defending himself. He had no such luck.

"What did he mean?" Shippou asked himself aloud putting the phone down. The phone rang again and Shippou picked up. "What did you mean? Detained?"

"Ho ho ho!" A voice came through the phone.

"Kouga!" Shippou said frowning.

"Shit!" InuYasha said frowning even deeper. InuYasha ran over to the phone and pressed a button, putting him on speaker.

"Dudes! I'm on my way!" Kouga said into the phone happily.

"Great!" Shippou and InuYasha replied happily and in unison before turning away from the microphone. "Fuck." They said in unison, almost reading each others mind. They turned back to the phone.

"I need the rent." Kouga said lowly. His tone had changed immediately from cheerful to somber.

"What rent?" Shippou inquired, bewildered.

"This past year's rent which I let slide." Kouga said through his cell phone with obvious disdain at himself. Whether it was for having to collect the rent, or for having let the rent slide, Shippou and InuYasha could not tell.

"Let slide?" Shippou parroted.

"You said we were golden!" InuYasha snarled. "You know! When you bought the building!"

"When we were roommates!" Shippou finished.

"You have to remember you lived hear!" InuYasha growled through gritted teeth.

"How could I forget?" Kouga said softly. "You, me, Miroku, Kagura, which reminds me, how is the drama queen?"

"She's performing tonight." Shippou explained.

"I know." Kouga said lowly. "Are you still her production manager?"

"Two days ago, I was bumped." Shippou said grumpily.

"You still dating her?" Kouga asked raising his eyebrows, unseen to the two in the loft.

"Last Month I was dumped." Shippou said lowly.

"She's in love." InuYasha said gleefully.

"She's got new man already?" Kouga asked in utter awe.

"Well…" Shippou trailed off. "No."

"What's his name?" Kouga asked sighing.

"Kanna." InuYasha and Shippou said in unison. Kouga tried, and failed to stifle laughter.

"Listen, Rent, amigos, is due, or I will have to evict you. Ta ta, see you in a few." Kouga hung up. Leaving InuYasha and Shippou in silence. InuYasha returned to his guitar, he pulled a piece out from a small folder of music and began to pluck away at it. It was still horribly out of tune. Suddenly, a flash of light. The electricity had gone out.

"This power blows." Shippou said groaning.


	2. Chapter 2

(Hello. Back with chapter two, I have no clue what to put for this besides the fact I hope you like this as much as I liked writing it.

Thanks to remix-69er for reviewing. Yeah, the stage version is awesome, I've read the libretto and seen clips, listened to songs but I've never seen it. I hope that will change come December when it comes to my town.

Songs included/Changed into Conversations:

Rent

You Okay Honey

Tune Up 3

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or Rent.

Rent is © to Jonathon Larson. InuYasha is © to Rumiko Takahashi.)

Shippou stared at InuYasha for a while before he began to sing softly. "How do you document real life, when real life is getting more like fiction each day? Headlines -- breadlines. Blow my mind. And now this deadline!" His voice cracked at the word deadline. Eviction -- or pay! InuYasha mouthed Rent to him and Shippou followed up.  
"RENT " InuYasha stood and marched over to him.

"You tell me how do you write a song when the chords sound wrong?  
Though they once sounded right and rare when the notes are sour where is the power you once had to ignite the air?" He sang back forcefully.

"We're hungry and frozen." Shippou countered.

"Some life that we've chosen!" InuYasha said rolling his eyes.

"How we going to pay? How we going to pay? How we going to pay?" Shippou asked out loud, in obvious distress. InuYasha pulled a slip out he had gotten when he had come in with the words eviction or pa stamped across the front in red. He threw it on the table.

"Last year's rent." He said lowly.

"We'll light candles!" Shippou offered.

"How do you start a fire when there's nothing to burn?" InuYasha replied darkly rubbing his arm with his hand in an attempt to warm himself. "And it feels like something's stuck in your flue?"

"How can you generate heat when you can't feel your feet?" Shippou asked almost a bit sadly. HE looked at his feet.

"And they're turning blue." Shippou and InuYasha crooned together. Shippou immediately perked with an idea. He ran into his room and grabbed a thick script.  
"You light up a mean blaze." He said holding the script up, InuYasha ripped one of his own posters off the wall.

"With POSTERS!" He yelled lighting it on fire with a pack of matches he had held in his pocket.

"And screenplays!" Shippou added using the flaming poster as a means to light the script aflame. They threw it into a metal barrel, grinning into it.

"How we going to pay? How we going to pay? How we going to pay? LAST year's rent?" They yelled grabbing more screenplays and posters and began throwing them into the barrel.

Meanwhile Miroku was in an alley, attempting to stand after being mugged viciously. "How do you stay on your feet when on every street it's 'trick or treat' and tonight, it's trick." He fell against the alley wall. "Welcome back to town, oh, everything's brown and oh, I feel sick."

Shippou ran out onto the fire escape, searching for Miroku. "Where is he?" 

"Getting dizzy." Miroku muttered before collapsing.

"How we going to pay?" InuYasha asked adding another poster to the bonfire. "How we going to pay? How we going to pay last year's rent?" Shippou and InuYasha started flipping through some of Shippou's scripts.

"The music ignites the night with passionate fire." Shippou read aloud before dumping the script in the barrel.

"The narration crackles and pops with incendiary wit." InuYasha read from the one he was holding before dropping his script into the barrel as well. Shippou grabbed his camera and zoomed in on the barrel which was now a flaming bin of paper. The phone rang.

"We zoom in as we burn the past to the ground, and feel the heat of the future's glow!" Shippou sang as InuYasha grabbed the barrel carefully and marched over to the fire escape, dumping the contents to the ground. The phone rang again. Shippou put his camera down and answered it.

"Hello?" He started. "Kagura? What do you mean your equipment won't work?" A sigh of annoyance. "Okay, Alright, I'll go." Shippou hung up.   
"How do you leave the past behind, when it keeps finding ways to get to your heart?" Shippou sang joining InuYasha on the fire escape. Several people in surrounding buildings came outside, setting their eviction notices on fire and letting them drift down.

They sang with Shippou, or a variant of it. "It reaches way down deep and tears you inside out till you're torn apart. Rent!"

"How can you connect in an age Where strangers, landlords, lovers, your own blood cells betray?" InuYasha yelled off the fire escape, arms spread as if trying to catch some sort of invisible person in a hug. 

"What binds the fabric together, when the raging, shifting winds of change keep ripping away?" The group around them yelled.

"Draw a line in the sand and then make a stand  
!" The women in the loft below InuYasha and Shippou sang. InuYasha looked down and the woman smiled at him, blue eyes twinkling at him.

"Use your camera to spar!" InuYasha sang looking back over to Shippou.

"USE YOUR GUITAR!" Shippou sang back shooting InuYasha with his camera. 

"When they act tough you call their bluff!" The other people yelled from their fire escapes.

"We're not going to pay." Everyone repeated three times before counting off what they would not pay.

"Last year's rent This year's rent Next year's rent RENT, RENT, RENT, RENT, RENT We're not going to pay rent " The group yelled. Shippou and InuYasha turned to each other.

"Because everything is rent." They said together before retreating inside.

Meanwhile back outside a woman with long black hair was sitting propped up against a stature, beating an empty pickle tub with two battered old drumsticks. Miroku limped towards the end of the alley but could not make it. He collapsed onto the side of the alley and moaned loudly. The woman stood up, pickle tub under her arm, she frowned, her brow furrowing at the moans from the alley.

She walked cautiously towards it. "Hello?" she spotted Miroku and gasped in horror. She hurried over to him. "You okay honey?"

"I'm afraid so." Miroku muttered trying to straighten himself.

"They get any money?" Sango asked crouching by him.

"No, I didn't have any to get. They took my coat though, well you missed a sleeve!" Miroku yelled at no one in particular. "Thanks."

"It's Christmas Eve." Sango said taking his arm to help him up. "I'm Sango."

"Sango?" Miroku asked smiling slightly. "Indeed, an angel of the first degree, Friends call me Miroku, Miroku Takuhata."

"Let's get a band-aid for your knee, I'll change. There's a Life Support meeting at nine-thirty." Miroku gave her a questioning look and Sango looked down, "Yes, This body provides a quite comfortable home, for the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome."

"AIDS?" Miroku asked, Sango nodded. "I got it too." Sango laughed.

"We're going to get along just fine, I can tell. Let's get you a coat and a bite to eat." Sango said leading him off.

"But my friends are waiting." Miroku said blushing.

"You're cute when you blush, the more the merrier! Ho! Ho! Ho! And I do not take no for an answer." Miroku laughed and leaned on her before they went off into the night.

Back in the apartment InuYasha was trying again to tune his guitar.

"Where are you going?" he asked lowly, spying Shippou slipping on his shabby coat.

"Kagura calls." Shippou said lowly. InuYasha laughed slightly.

"You are such a sucker." InuYasha said staring at Shippou.

"I don't suppose you'd want to see her show tonight." Shippou offered, InuYasha shrugged.

"I don't really care." He said strumming his guitar.

"Or come to dinner?" Shippou asked putting his camera in its bag.

"Zoom in on my empty wallet." InuYasha grumbled.

"Touché, Take your AZT." Shippou motioned to a small tube of pills before grabbing his camera and zooming in on InuYasha's sullen face. "Close up on Inu, his girlfriend Kikyo left a note, saying we've got AIDS, before slitting her wrists in the bathroom." Shippou sighed and lowered his camera. "I'll check up on you later, Please Change your mind, you have to get out of the house." and with that Shippou lowered his head and left.

"I'm writing one great song before I..." InuYasha trailed off.


	3. Chapter 3

(Hola, este cuento es fantástico. Propagó la noticia. Please? I'll be your slave, I'll be good. I promise, just tell someone!

Songs included/Changed into Conversations:

One Song Glory

Light My Candle

Again InuYasha is © Rumiko Takahashi and Rent is © to Jonathon Larson. Original Dialogue written by Jonathon Larson.)

InuYasha sighed, admitting defeat and put his as of now untunable guitar aside, he lowered his head, thinking about his past, why had Shippou talking about Kikyo make him feel so low?

"One song..." he started slowly. "Glory..." he closed his eyes slightly. "One song before I go... Glory, One song to leave behind." He stood and went towards the door slowly; he reached his hand hesitantly towards the handle before pulling it away. HE couldn't. He retracted his hand going back to his couch.

"Find one song, one last refrain, glory, from the pretty boy front man who wasted opportunity. One song, I- he had the world at his feet! Glory, in the eyes of a young girl. A young girl. Find glory, beyond the cheap colored lights, one song before the sun sets, on another empty life." InuYasha strode over to the door again, again unable to open it. He thought back to meeting Kikyo for the first time, he saw her from the stage at one of his shows, they smiled at each other and then they stayed in the club, just talking with each other until they were forced to go home. They were so happy.

"Time flies!" InuYasha corrected himself. "Time dies! Glory! One blaze of glory. One blaze of glory. Why? I need to find, Glory, in a song that rings true, with truth like a blazing fire. With eternal flame. Find, one song,"

He glanced unsurely at the floor where someone could be heard moving about. "A song about love, glory, from the soul of a young man. A young man. Find the one song..." He remembered Kikyo getting their drugs from a shady man named Onigumo. The needles they had gotten from him? Tainted. They gave Kikyo and InuYasha AIDS.

"Before the virus takes hold, Glory. Like a sunset," InuYasha looked at the door longingly. "One song, to redeem this empty life. Time flies." he looked down at his clothed arm where he had taken the drugs. "And then..." he started softly. "No need to endure anymore... Time dies..." InuYasha was interrupted by a sharp knock. He stood and went over to the door.

"What you forget Shippou?" He asked, before noticing the girl in front of him was not a short red haired green eyed man, but a curvy girl with long wavy black hair and haunting sad blue eyes.

"Got a light?" she asked holding up a stub of a candle, balls of wax had rolled down its side, On her shoulders a flimsy blanket. She walked past InuYasha into the loft as he fished for matches in his pocket. He found a pack and pulled it out before something registered.

"I know you!" his voice brightened. "You're..." he broke off, he never was good with names. "You're shivering."

"It's nothing, they turned off my heat. And I'm just a little weak on my feet." She looked at the candle stub in her hands. "Will you light my candle?" InuYasha straightened as he ripped a singular match from the little book. He struck it and lit the match. She smiled brightly until she noticed him staring sadly at her smile. "What are you staring at?"

"Nothing!" he blushed slightly. "Your hair in the moonlight. You- You look familiar." he bent down and lit the candle, she started out of the loft but she stumbled, nearly dropping her candle. "Can you make it?"

"I just haven't eaten much today," she said looking down. "At least the room stopped spinning. Anyway..." InuYasha was staring again. "What?"

"Nothing!" he looked away. "Your smile reminded me of..."

"I always remind people of..." she stopped. "Who is she?"

"She died, her name was Kikyo." InuYasha said lowly, he looked at his feet awkwardly, giving the girl a chance to blow the candle out.

"It blew out again," InuYasha ripped another match from the matchbook. "Sorry about your friend. Would you light my candle?" InuYasha reached down again to light the candle, his lips mere inches from hers, he pulled away awkwardly.

"Well..." InuYasha started.

"Yeah..." the girl said looking down. "Ow!" she pulled her finger away from the candle.

"Oh the wax... InuYasha said taking a step forward and grabbing her finger, he smiled. "It's-"

"Dripping!" the girl said pulling his hand towards her breasts. "I like it between my-" his fingers dipped into her shirt and he immediately withdrew them.

"Fingers!" he finished for her. "I figured." he laughed sheepishly, turning away. The girl started out again. "Oh well, good night." She exited and InuYasha returned to his guitar. Suddenly, another knock. He opened the door. "It went out again?" He asked frowning.

"No! I think that I dropped my stash!" She said frowning deeply and pushing past him to get into the loft. She searched the ground with her eyes.

"I know I've seen you out and about, when I used to go out." He itched his chin before noticing her candle in truth having been blown out. "Your candle's out."

"I'm illin'! I had it when I walked in the door! It was pure! Is it on the floor?" The girl got on her hands and knees and began searching.

"The floor?" He watched her searching; she turned back to him and smirked.

"They say I have the best ass, below 14th street. Is it true?" She asked grinning.

"What!" InuYasha felt heat rushing to his face again.

"You're staring again!" the girl laughed slightly.

"Oh no!" he was stumbling over his words. She frowned, "I mean you do! Have a nice- I mean! You look familiar!"

"Like your dead girlfriend." She asked sitting up.

"Only when you smile!" He said frowning. "But I'm sure I've seen you somewhere else"

"Do you go to the cat scratch club?" InuYasha nodded. "That's where I work. I dance."

"YES! They used to tie you up." InuYasha smirked.

"It's a living." She said resuming her search.

"I didn't recognize you without the handcuffs." InuYasha said embarrassedly.

"We could light the candle," she sat up and held her candle out to him. "Oh won't you light the candle?" he bent by her and lit it again.

"Why don't you forget that stuff, you look like your sixteen!" InuYasha said standing.

"I'm nineteen but I'm old for my age. I'm just born to be bad!" She wrinkled her nose.

"I once was born to be bad." InuYasha started. "I used to shiver like that."

"I have no heat I told you!" she pouted.

"I used to sweat." he started again.

"I got a cold." she looked down.

"Uh-huh." he said in disbelief, "I used to be a junkie."

"But now and then I like to..." she broke off.

"Uh-huh?" InuYasha tried motivating her on.

"Feel good." she finished blushing slightly. InuYasha spotted her stash on the ground.

"Oh! Here it..." he broke off and frowned. He scooped the stash up and stuffed it into his back pocket.

"What's that?" she asked frowning.

"Candy Bar wrapper." he said laughing nervously.

"We could light the candle..." she said softly, standing and joining him. She looked away for a moment and InuYasha blew it out under his breath.

"What'd you do with my candle?" she asked pouting again.

"That was my last match." InuYasha said dropping the empty matchbook. InuYasha sat down on his couch in front of the table with his guitar on it.

"Our eyes'll adjust, thank God for the moon." She went over to him, sitting on his lap.

"Maybe it's not the moon at all." InuYasha suggested. "I hear Spike Lee's shooting down the street."

"Bah... Humbug, Bah humbug." she said crossing her arms for warmth. She put her hand down, just as InuYasha put his down. They touched.

"Cold hands." InuYasha commented.

"Yours too." She said working his fingers out. "Big. Like my fathers... You wanna dance?"

"With you?" InuYasha asked frowning.

"No!" she rolled her eyes, stifling a giggle. "With my father." She stood pulling him up.

"I'm InuYasha." he said blushing.

"They call me," she leaned up to him "They call me, Kagome!" She stuck a hand into his back pocket and pulled her stash out of it. She waved it in his face before strutting out of the loft. Leaving InuYasha speechless.


End file.
